Feb 13 (Reuters) – South Carolina reported 950 measles cases on Friday, including 17 new infections since Tuesday, though officials said it is still too early to know whether the recent dip in daily cases signals a slowdown.
Of those infected, 883 were unvaccinated, 19 were partially vaccinated with one of the recommended two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccines, 26 were fully vaccinated and 22 had unknown vaccination status.
“We have had lower day-by-day counts of reported measles cases recently. That is potentially an indication that this could be slowing, but really, it is still too early to tell,” state epidemiologist Linda Bell said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
The outbreak, which began in October, has been centered in the northwest part of the state, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
There are currently 186 people in quarantine and nine in isolation. The latest end of quarantine for these is March 8, the state health department said.
As of February 12, 910 confirmed measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026, CDC’s latest data showed.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)
